=
Quote:
The
Explosive 2007 Steeler Offense
The five best offenses in the NFL after Week 10 are:
Team.................................Yards Per Game
New England Patriots...............428.2
Dallas Cowboys.......................396.8
Indianapolis Colts...................389.8
Green Bay Packers...................376.2
Pittsburgh Steelers..................357.8
Not surprisingly, these are the five best teams in the NFL this season, and=
the
only five to win seven or more games.
Just how did the Steelers get to be the fifth ranked offense in the NFL? Th=
ey
have the second ranked rushing attack, an extremely efficient passing attac=
k,
convert on 3rd down, don’t fumble, control the clock and score
touchdowns. Not bad!!
Let’s back this up with some data:
First, total offense:
Statistic............................................NFL Rank
Time of possession.............34.59..........1
3rd downs Made....................69.............1
% 3rd downs Made.................53%...........1
Fumbles lost............................2.............2
Yards/game...........................357.8........5
Points/game...........................28.1.........5
Touchdowns............................30...........5
1st downs per game...............19.9.........8
Yards/play...............................5.6.........9
Field goals................................14.........13
Three things stand out. One, the Steelers are fi=
rst in
the NFL in third down conversions! I did not know this and was amazed when I
discovered this. Two, they’ve taken care of the football, having lost
only two fumbles; last year the Steelers lost 14 fumbles and ranked 21st in=
the
NFL. Three, thirty touchdowns, they’re scoring touchdowns, not field
goals, isn’t it wonderful!
Second, passing offense:
Statistic................................................NFL Rank
Passing yards/game..............206.3...........18
Team passer rating...............106.5.............2
Passing yards/attempt.............8.2..............3
Touchdowns............................22...............3
% Completions.......................64.9%............8
Interceptions.............................8..............11
Passing attempts....................248.............28
Passing attempts per game.....27.6............28
While passing sparingly, the Steelers have one of the most efficient passing
attacks in the league as evidenced by the 106.5 passer rating and 8.2 yards=
per
passing attempt. What is awesome, however, is the touchdown ratio. The Stee=
lers
have thrown a touchdown every 11.3 passing attempts – think about tha=
t!
Only
And thirdly, rushing:
Statistic..............................................NFL Rank
Rushing yards/game...........151.4.............2
Rushing attempts.................308...............2
Rushing attempts/game........34................2
Yards/rushing attempt..........4.4...............7
What’s truly amazing about this is that it’s been accomplished =
with
an offensive line that’s mediocre, at best. Roet=
hlisberger’s
been sacked 23 times, and who knows what Parker would do if there was a real
hole to run through. Two things that are most likely responsible for this <=
span
class=3DSpellE>Steeler stellar offensive performance are the develop=
ment
of talent at the skill positions and the skill of the offensive coordinator,
Bruce Arians.
In regards to the skill players, you have all seen it happening –
Ben’s become an elite quarterback, Santanio
stretches the field and is beginning to scare defenses, Willie’s one =
of
the NFL’s best, Hines is Hines, Heath is dangerous and even Nate has
developed into a good receiver. Now the trick that Arians has to perform ea=
ch
week is to squeeze just enough out of the offensive line to enable these sk=
ill
players to perform. If you’re looking for the Steelers of 2001 to bul=
ldoze
the defensive line, it’s not going to happen – the talent just
isn’t there. Now, for all of the armchair quarterbacks out there, how=
do
you game plan when you have a shaky offensive line? Think about it.
Do the Steelers have problems? You betcha ̵=
1; special
teams and the offensive line lead the list. Have they played any really good
teams? No, but that’s not their fault and, really, there are only a
handful of good teams this year. Are they perfect? No. Does any of this det=
ract
from what they have accomplished so far this year? No, siree!!
So far, this has been a fantastic season for the Black ‘n Gold -- fir=
st
place in the division, 7-2, numero uno defense, good offense and no injuries! Enjoying i=
t! Are
the Patriots better? Who cares? Can the Steelers compete with any team in t=
he
league on Sunday? You bet! Put it in perspective, the Steelers have played
well, and this season has been fun! Sit back, chill out, open up a longneck=
and
enjoy, really enjoy, the Steelers this year.